Thanks pharmer , I was careless and now am more afraid of spiders than ever. My wife has been bitching about them for years. I have had the ulcer from bites before. My neighbors wonder why I have so many spider webs,birds and other living things in my yard. I don't kill them off , use no poisons in my mini forest yard, I'm seeking a natural balance with nature.

Thanks juthro , I am healing , I guess the still will provide medicine as granny from the Beverly Hill Billies made on occasion.

I am healing up, swelling is down, still numb hand & arm though. I believe the venom affected my mind but would not recommend trying it, could of been the steroids given for treatment. I haven't had a good nights sleep in a week.

I'm getting ready to put my still together a 3 gallon stainless steel pot a 10 foot copper worm in a bucket. I'll use this to learn on until I save up enough to buy a 7 gallon stainless steel still from Brewhaus.

I will do a first run soon ( a few days ) and show alcohol content with pix, of course I will show the still, using electric heat for safety. The total amount from my first 5gallons of wine distilled & ABV. This is a learning experience I know I will not do as good as those with experience.

I thought I should mention this about stainless steel as I have known people who said this can't b steel its not magnetic. Iron is magnetic but iron compounds called steel are not always magnetic

"most common stainless steels are 'austenitic' - these have a higher chromium content and nickel is also added. It is the nickel which modifies the physical structure of the steel and makes it non-magnetic."

"Stainless steels are a very broad group of metals. The name was adopted as a generic term for steel alloys with a minimum of 10.5% chromium. The chromium gives the steel its 'stainless' properties - essentially corrosion resistance. On the surface of the metal, a very thin chromium-rich oxide layer is formed which is inert - i.e. it prevents the steel from rusting. The advantage of stainless steels over plated steels is that, if scratched or damaged, the steel will 'self-repair' as a new oxide layer is formed. In plated steels, scratches in the plate will often lead to corrosion of the steel underneath.

Stainless steel in general, the higher the proportion of chromium, the stronger the corrosion resistance of the steel. In addition to chromium, other metals are added to give the steel particular properties such as strength and malleability. Specifically nickel is used to strengthen the oxide layer.

As for whether they are magnetic, the answer is that it depends. There are several families of stainless steels with different physical properties. A basic stainless steel has a 'ferritic' structure and is magnetic. These are formed from the addition of chromium and can be hardened through the addition of carbon (making them 'martensitic') and are often used in cutlery.

However, the most common stainless steels are 'austenitic' - these have a higher chromium content and nickel is also added. It is the nickel which modifies the physical structure of the steel and makes it non-magnetic.

Glad your doing a little better Heirloom. Where I used to live in Oregon, we had lots of spiders. While most are pretty harmless, we did have hobo spiders around. Their venom is one of the nasty ones that causes ulcers and tissue death.

My brothers boy got a bite on the back of his shoulder from putting on a shirt that had a spider in it. Once trapped between the shirt and skin the spider bit him. The wound was nasty. The doctor said that hobo's venom is so poisonous that your body's reaction is to clamp down hard all of the capillaries around the wound as a way to keep the poison from spreading.

The down side to that is the flesh around the wound no longer gets blood flow and dies. The wound must be kept very clean to prevent infection or gang green from growing in the dead tissue.

Anyway, enough horror stories :) I look forward to seeing what you get going my friend.

this is my first try not much but hopefully will work, I will of course use hillbilly putty. Need to drill a few holes for the condenser, thermometer..,. I'm not in a hurry ... I will distill this slow & steady only can do what 2 gallons of wine at a time in a 3 gallon pot...

any opinions on the chapman 7 gallon stainless steel fermenter / potential boiler? I may want to step up soon

I can take all advise I will not be offended so be honest , I need that to advance

My sugar ( w/lemon juice added) wine tested at a little over 5%, I tasted it and was ok, I even got a little buzz from a few pints. I was pleasantly surprised with the results.I can se myself brewing or vinting in the near future.

pharmer thanks for pointing that out - ethanol is not a lacquer thinner, my excuse ignorance, I needed to know that. I don't even know what lacquer is, I have led a sheltered life, where I lack common knowledge.

ok I have come to the conclusion that a still is the best way for high quality alcohol.

With my 5% ABV wine it would require 950 grams of anhydrous magnesium sulfate per liter to produce 50 ml of 99%ethanol in theory . Not very efficient and labor /energy intensive/ costly.

I will get back with the results of my first distillation attempt. I want to be able to justify the cost of a still.

I have been drinking my own and realized I made a mistake . to extract 1 ml/gm of water requires 0.5gm of anhydrous magnesium sulfate. The short version is I only need 450grams of AMgS to absorb 950ml/gm of water.

Man my bad luck streak could be tied directly to my intoxication factor- its been expensive better stop before its fatal. Seems a guy needs a clear mind

yea,it matters , I have been drinking my home brew not much of an excuse but it appears alcohol is not a brain food

Its good to enojoy the fruits of your labor in good health. You just have to remember that when you do, it precludes some other activities. Things like driving, distilling, ridding motor cycles, and ect...

I know your old enough to know this already, and I am in no position (and I'm trying not to) to preach. I just want you to stay safe, and be well my friend.

It is a personal weakness of mine, and I have to make a conscious effort not to be careless. For my good, as well as the good of those I care about.